Does this happen to you? You’re in a meditation class or are just finishing up yoga when the instructor asks everyone to concentrate on relaxing, and you begin wrestling with yourself, trying to figure out how to relax and concentrate at the same time. The harder you concentrate on trying to relax, the less relaxed you feel.

The issues is in the word concentrate. It doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. For some it means to focus so hard you think you’re going to burn a hole through something with your mind. What you should really be doing when you “concentrate” is just notice what’s going on.

Next time you’re told to concentrate or focus, do a simple word replacement and put the word notice in it’s place. So, instead of trying to concentrate or focus on relaxing, you should be noticing any tension you can release or muscles you might be flexing involuntarily.

Once the body is relaxed, the mind will naturally follow.

I know the topic of relaxing and how to focus your awareness is one of the most difficult to get a handle on when you begin meditating. So if you need any help with this topic, don’t hesitate to ask a question, below, reach out via social networks, or contact me directly.

Sometimes we’re reluctant to reach out to someone we don’t know, or don’t want to bother them. Rest assured, I look forward to our interactions…and if you don’t reach out to me we’ll miss an opportunity to share our knowledge and enrich each others’ lives. – Todd Robinson